Follow Up Care

Each patient is expected to meet with the doctor for post-operative visits. The first visit will be within three weeks and the additional follow-ups will vary from doctor to doctor. Some doctors want to see their patients at the one, two, three, six, and year mark while other physcians will see patients less regularly.

Scarring

Because an incision is made during the process of breast augmentation, a scar is inevitable. It will most likely be small and heal very nicely. The incision scar can measure anywhere from 3 centimeters to 3 inches depending on the size and texture of the implant and skill of the surgeon. Textured implants require larger incisions. Initially, scars will be pink and firm. They will fade after several months, but they will remain the same size as the initial incision. Luckily, there are some methods to help scars heal with minimum visibility.

Scar Treatment

Different doctors advocate different scar therapy treatments. Some claim Vitamin E to diminish a scars appearance. However, this method can not be started immediately after surgery. One must wait a few weeks for the incision to close. In addition to Vitamin E, there are several scar reducing ointments on the market. Other doctors claim surgical paper strips to be the best way to reduce visible scarring. The tape takes the tension off the incision which helps the scar to flatten and fade. The strips can be left on until they fall off on their own. Silicone sheeting is another method to reduce scarring. Silicone sheets are soft, polyester fabric with a slight adhesive that are stuck to the breast. They come in different shapes to fit the different procedures. It is not exactly known why they are effective, but it may be due to oxygen tension, hydration, or increased pressure on the scar. It is important to discuss these different scar therapies with the doctor and see what he/she recommends. If the scarring is severe, there are other medical options such as steroid therapy and excision.

Massage and Compression Exercises

As with scar therapy, doctors are not in consensus about massage and compression exercises. Some recommend it and others do not. For those that advise massage, they suggest massaging the breast anywhere from one day to one week after surgery three times a day. After three weeks women are encouraged to only massage once a day for the rest of their lives. This is meant to keep the implants soft and to prevent capsular contracture. Note that only smooth implants can be massaged. Some doctors encourage patients to do pocket quadrant exercises. With these exercises, one displaces her implants to the periphery of the pockets. She moves them up, down and side to side. She then holds the implant in these different places for a few seconds. In theory, this keeps the pocket spacious and the capsules loose and elastic.